Foldable combination ash tray



Feb. 26, 1935. A, OTTF ED 1,992,421

FOLDABLE COMBINATION ASH TRAY Filed Dec. 28, 1931 Hmmwmmwwwwiiiir Patented Feb. 26, 1935 FOLDABLE COMBINATION ASH TRAY Carl A. Gottfried, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application December 28,1931. Serial N6. 583,575 13 Claims. (c1.'1s1 51) to :receiveashes or the butts oi cigars and cigarettesand from which the ashes or other refuse maybe readily removed. There may also be incorporated in connection with the ash receptacle and inclosed therein a further receptacle for holding matches in a readily and easily accessible and convenient location.

- The invention may be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which, a

; Figfll is aperspective viewer the-ash receptacle of my invention showing the same closed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation, withjparts at the lower end broken away and shown in section, and with the'ash receptacle open to receive ashes oi' cigar or cigarette butts. i h

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the plane of line 33 0t "Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a similar vertical section showingthe receptacle in closedposition Fig; 5 is a plan view' ofthe ncessan -m ets position, as in Figs. Zand 3;

Fig. fi is a horizontal'section on the 6-6 drFigA, and L g Fig. '7 is a horizontal section on the planeof line 7-7 r Fig.2. j p P Like' reference characters refer to like' parts in the difierent figures of thedrawing;

plane crime in the construction of the receptacla-whichjis made preferably from sheet metal, a vertical front. -1 is; provided from which, at its lowerfendpa bottom 2 extends to the rear and is then extended upwardly as a vertical back? for a distance above the upperedge of the front 1. The metal of the back 3 may be continued and bent back upon itself to form the reansi'de 4 of a match holdingreceptacle, the bottom f which'extends forward from the lower edge of the backf4 and terminates in a vertical front 6 which. for a whole or "a part of its length, may be vertically ribbed-or corrugated as indicated at 6a, Ends 7 complete the match receptacle and sides 8 extending between thefront andback 1 andv3 of the ashreceptacle and to the upper end ofthe back 3 (are used to complete said 'ash receptacleercept for its upper closingmembers. "The sheet metal sides, front, back and bottom maybe connected together in any preferred manner and whether or not the partsl, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are made oi a continuous length of sheetfmetalis not important as they may be made from one or more pieces of at 16a, so as to come against sheet metal suitably secured together so asto b'e in effect integral. i

In the bottom 2 of thev ash receptacle openings are made and .around the same downwardly .ex-

tending threaded sleeves 9 are located. On said sleeves closing caps 10 are threaded as'best shown in Fig. '2'. Also Within the receptacle and resting upon; the bottom is a sheet metal plate 11 formed as shown so as to directlashes or other refuse toward said openings and into the sleeves 9 whereby on removing the caps 10 the ashes and other refuse drops freely by gravityfrom the as'h-receptacle and none of it is held in corners thereof.

A closing lid 12 of an inverted shallow pan-like form is provided and 'ishingedly connectedat 13 at the upper end of the back '3. A spring 14 around the hinge pintle and bearing against the lidand the :back 3, serves normally to throwthe lid to upperfvertical position, as shown in Fig. 3', whenffree to do so.

16 extend rearwardly. This extension member is pivotally connected at 1!! to the upper edge ofthe front 1 and a coiled spring 18 is associated with thehingev pintle and the parts '1 and 15, th'e effect of which is to normally move theext'ension from 15 and the parts connected theretoto' an outer position as shownin Fig. 3.

1 i A plurality of holders l9 are secured "at the extension front member-and the ends'of the sides l6 are preferably cut at an'angle, as indicated theflback 3 when in such position. i Y V Cooperating latching members 21 and 22 are 'provided'on the extension front 15 and the front depending side of the lid 12 whereby th e two.

. .20 A hinged extension to the front-'1 is provided from the sideedges of -which side member's when connected together, as shown in Fig. 4,

willcause the lid 12 to be held in closed position and "the front member 15 in vertical position;

but by pressing inwardly on the part 21 the latch member may be disengaged whereupon the lid.

will automatically be thrown to its vertical p'o sition, shown in 3, and the extension front member 15 with the attached parts moved to its outer inclinedpositiomalsoshown in Fig. 3.

Lugs23 maybe welded or otherwise secured to the 'back3 for thepurpose of attaching the appliance to" a vertical support such asthe dash of is opened and the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. The matches held within the match receptacle are thereupon accessible and ashes, matches or the like may be inserted in the receptacle through the members 19 and underneath the match holder; and when it is desired, a cigar or cigarette may be placed in one of the holders 19 as indicated in dotted lines (Figs. 3 and 5). The appliance may be closed whenever desired, the latching devices 21 and 22 holding the same in closed position. Also, often-' times it is desirable to flick the ashes from the cigars and this may be done by a'slight upward to snap the front downwardly thus causing an abrupt stop which serves the aforesaid purpose, the bottom 5 serving as a stop to prevent displacement of the cigars. The ashes drop downwardly through the cut away portion as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawing, the spring 14 urges the lid 12. upwardly but if desired, the spring 14 may be reversed so that the same will cause the lid 12 to remain closed at all times. Or, if desired, the spring 14 may be entirely omitted and gravity will act upon the lid 12 orelse the hinge 13 will frictionally maintain the lid 12 inany desired position. 1 If the spring 14 tends tokeep the lid 12 closed, the upper curved portion of the element 15 cams against theunderside of the lid when the same is pushed to a closed position, see Fig. 4, and hence an initial opening movement is given to the lid 12. p

The lid 12 is shownas overlapping the side members 8 but I deem it to be within the purview of my invention to make the lid of such length as to have the depending ends thereof lie immediately above the side members 8 and abut the same, the side members 8 being cut away when this construction is used.

I also deem it to be within the scope of my invention to utilize only a single cigarette containing member 19 and also lengthen the lower portion of the container 1 so that when desired a quantity of ashes may be held therein.

Insome cases, such as when used in railway cars, it is advisable to construct the device of cast iron and provide a depending outlet from the lower part of the box leading to the exterior of the car. Also, the match box container 5 may be dispensed with if desired. 1

The device described is of a very practical and effective construction. Ashes placed upon the parts 19 or matches'or cigars or cigarette butts placed thereon are dumped into the main receptacle on closing; or when open the vibration of an automobile with which the device is used causes the same to move inwardly and fall to the bottom of the receptacle.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope. v. I claim:

1. A receptacle having back, bottom and sides and afixed front shorter thanthe back, a lid for closing the upper end of the receptacle, an extension front pivotally connected to the upper edge of the said front, said extension extending both within and without the confines of the receptacle when in one of its positions, said extension setting on an angle in Said position, the in- 3. A construction containing the elements combination defined in claim 1, said extension front having a plurality. of holders located at the inner side of said extension front of concavo-convex form.

4. In combination, a box having an upper open end, a fiat member pivoted to the upper edge of said box, said fiat member being adapted to receive cigarettes or the like, said fiat member having sides thereto extending inwardly and abutting against the back of the box when it is in its operative position, said operative position being an angular position,'the inner end being lowermost, whereby ashes will gravitate to the rear of said fiat member, the fiat member being cut away to permit the ashes to fall into the box.

5. In an ash container having its upper end open, the combination of, a cigarette supporting element pivotally attached to the container at the upper edge of the front side of the container, said element extending both without and within the confines of the container when it is in one of its positions, said container extending downwardly from the pivot of said cigarette supporting element to form a receptacle thereunder for the purpose described, and a station ary shielding member located over the inner end ofsaid supporting element when it is located in the above referred to position.

an open end, a removable closure for its lower end, a lid pivoted to its upper end to close the Same as desired, said container having one of its sides partly'cut away, a supporting element pivoted ata point along its length tothe top edge of said cut away side, curved holding means fastened to the upper or inner side of said supporting element, said holding means being adapted to receive a cigarette or the like, and means on the lid member adapted to engage the supporting element whereby the box-like container may be held in closed position. I

7. A receptacle having a back, bottom, sides anda fixed front shorter than the back, an in verted pan shaped lid for closing the upper end of the receptacle mounted at the top edge of the back member, a cigarette supporting element pivotally attached to the upper edge of the front movable to a position at an acute angle to horizontal when desired and said element extending both within and without the confines of the container when in operative position, the inner end of said element being the lower end, said fiat element serving to support cigarettes and the like at said angle whereby they and the ashes therefrom will gravitate to the-lower end of said element when it is in said angular position and the tainer. j 9. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 7 but further charinwardly toward the back of the container and being spaced from the back of the container whereby ashes may drop between said end of the supporting element and the back of the conacterized by the fact that the container has openings leading from its bottom and separate closure ,means for each of said openings, said bottom converginginwardly and downwardly in a funnel shape toward each opening whereby ashes therein will gravitate intosaid openings. 3

10. A receptacle having a back, bottom and sides and a fixed'front shorter than the back, a lid for closing the upper end of the receptacle, a cigar supportingelement pivotally connected to the upper edge of the said front, said supporting element extending within the confines of the receptacle in one of its positions, said position being an acute angle to horizontal, the inner end of the supporting element being the lowest, whereby a cigar placed on said element will gravitate towards and against the back of the receptacle whereby relative movement between said element and said receptacle will cause the end of the cigar to rub against said back causing ashes to be removed therefrom,

11. In combination, a container having a hinged upper lid, a cigarette supporting element hinged to the top of one of the sides of the container, said side being cut away, interengaging means between the cover member and the supporting element whereby they may be maintained in closed position, a shielding member located between the cover member andthe supporting element, said shielding memberhaving an arcuate indentation at its front underside, said cigarette supporting element passing through saidarcuate indentation in the shielding member-when swung to its closed position.

12. In combination, a box having anopen up- 'per end, one side being shorter than the other, a

supporting element pivoted-to the upper end of the short side of the box at a point intermediate the ends of the supporting element, one end of said element contacting the back of the box in one of its positions, andcurved holding means fastened to the upper side'of the supporting element, said holding means being adapted to receive a cigarette or the like.

13. In combination, a container having a hinged upper lid, a cigarette supporting element hinged to the top of one of the sides of the con-' tainer, said side being cut away, interengaging means between thecover member and the supporting element whereby they may be maintained in closed position, said supporting element being pivoted to the said out awayside member 

